Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Iran on Sunday to “stop the escalation” in the region and attacks on Arab countries “to preserve the principles of good neighborliness and boost the historic and cultural ties that bind the people of the region.” Sisi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed el-Shennawy said Sisi stressed to Pezeshkian Cairo’s “firm stance in supporting efforts to restore stability in the region.” Egypt hopes that Iran would “exert all possible efforts to stop the escalation and reach a sustainable comprehensive peaceful settlement to the crisis that would protect the sovereignty and assets of the nations in the region.” Egypt has constantly expressed its full support to the security and stability of Arab countries, rejecting any form of violation that may undermine their sovereignty and stability. It has repeatedly called for an immediate end to the escalation, saying serious dialogue and diplomacy were the ways to resolve pending issues in the region. During a telephone call with Pezeshkian in May, Sisi called on Iran to show “some flexibility” and “avoid miscalculations”. He expressed Cairo’s categorical rejection of any attack on the sovereignty of Gulf countries and threats to their territories. Egypt and Iran severed diplomatic ties in 1979 before restoring diplomatic representation at the level of charge d’affaires eleven years later. Egyptian and Iranian ministers have held several meetings in the past three years to discuss the possibility of developing relations between their countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has visited Cairo on more than one occasion where he has met with Sisi and senior officials. Araghchi met his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
